Adam Galinsky, Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Columbia Business School, dives into the art of inspiring leadership. He argues that every leader has the potential to inspire and shares how a simple, vivid vision can captivate an audience. Galinsky emphasizes that recurring, strong imagery coupled with clear communication reinforces a leader's message. With insights from his TED Talk and his book 'Inspire,' he reveals that repetition is crucial in making a vision resonate, especially during challenging times.
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insights INSIGHT
Universal Leadership Traits
Inspiring and infuriating leaders share three universal traits: visionary, exemplar, and mentor.
These traits address fundamental human needs like meaning, protection, and belonging.
insights INSIGHT
Vision in Uncertainty
During uncertainty, people crave strong leadership and a clear vision. This desire for guidance can draw people to leaders even if those leaders demonstrate negative traits.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Crafting a Vision
Offer a glorious future by painting a big-picture, optimistic vision. Describe the current struggles and contrast them with a better future.
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Inspire, Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others
Adam Galinsky
Adam Galinsky: Inspire
Adam Galinsky is the Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Paul Calello Professor of Leadership and Ethics at the Columbia Business School. He co-authored the book Friend & Foe and his TED talk, How to Speak Up for Yourself, is one of the most popular of all time with over 7 million views. He's the author of Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others.
Leaders can delegate many things, but vision is not one of them. Most every leader needs to be able to articulate the future. In this conversation, Adam and I explore the building blocks to get better at inspiring others.
Key Points
Every leader has the potential to be inspiring. We can choose to get better.
Whatever a leader says, either positive or negative, will be amplified.
When values are brought front and center, they inspire behavior that creates a better future.
Inspiring leaders offer a big picture, optimistic view of the future.
Make visions simple and vivid. Simplicity is the key to inception. Use strong imagery that brings details to life.
Repetition is essential for a vision to take hold. The more often we hear something, the more likely it becomes our own truth.
Resources Mentioned
Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others* by Adam Galinsky
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
How to Sell Your Vision, with Michael Hyatt (episode 482)
The Beliefs of Inspirational Leaders, with Stephen M. R. Covey (episode 707)
How to Create Your Personal Vision (Audio course)
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